The Island of of Hispaniola was originally inhabited by Tainos, the indians Christopher Columbus found when he first landed on December 5, 1492 to establish the first settlement in the Americas.

The history of the country is marked by the influence of the Spanish conquistadors, the French, and the African slaves. Santo Domingo won its independence on February 27, 1844. Other historical highlights are the occupation of the country by American forces from 1916-24 to ensure payment of the national debt, the 30-year dictatorship of General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo from 1930-1961, and the Civil War in 1965. Their have been free elections every four years since 1966. The next presidential elections are scheduled for May 16, 2004.

Dominican Republic: Society: Intro

Dominican Society in the late 80s reflected the country's Spanish-Caribbean heritage. There were significant divisions of race and class. A small fraction of the population controlled great wealth, while the vast majority struggled to get by. The middle class struggled both to maintain and extend its political and economic gains, but had relatively few avenues for advancement or to consolidate their standing.

The mulattos comprise the majority of the population. They are the offspring of Africans and Europeans. The indigenous Amerindian population was virtually eliminated by the Spanish conquistadors. Immigrants from European, Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean landed on the island together with each cycle of economic growth. Generally, general, the social status could be determined from the color of the skin. The lighter skin, the higher the social and economic status, which means that European immigrants and their offspring found more ready acceptance at the upper reaches of society than did darker-skinned Dominicans.

Following Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina's regime (1930-61), there were many, large-scale and rural-urban and international migration blurred the gulf between city and countryside. Traditional attitudes persisted: peasants continued to regard urban dwellers with suspicion, and people in cities continued to think of rural Dominicans as unsophisticated and naive. Nonetheless, most families included several members who had migrated to the republic's larger cities or to the United States. Migration served to relieve some of the pressures of population growth. Moreover, cash remittances from abroad permitted families of moderate means to acquire assets and to maintain a standard of living far beyond what they might otherwise have enjoyed.

The alternatives available to poorer Dominicans were far more limited. Emigration required assets beyond the reach of most. Many rural dwellers migrated instead to one of the republic's cities. The financial resources and training of these newcomers, however, were far inferior to those among typical families of moderate means. For the vast majority of the republic's population, the twin constraints of limited land and limited employment opportunities defined the daily struggle for existence.

In the midst of far-reaching changes, the republic continued to be a profoundly family oriented society. Dominicans of every social stratum relied on family and kin for social identity and for interpersonal relationships of trust and confidence, particularly in the processes of migration and urbanization.

Data as of December 1989
Total Area: 48,734 square kilometers (18,816 square miles)
Capital: Santo Domingo
Population: 8,516,000
Ethnic Composition: 73% mixed African and European descent, 16% European, 11% African
Official Languages: Spanish; English is also spoken
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic; small Protestant community; 1% Spiritist

Education and Literacy: An estimated 74 percent of population literate in 1986. Education system included six years of compulsory primary education, an additional six years of secondary education, and higher education at one of more than twenty-six postsecondary institutions. Major university and sole public institution was Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (Universidad Autónoma de Santa Domingo - UASD).

Health: State-funded health programs reached 78 to 89 percent of population. Facilities concentrated in Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros (Santiago); service in rural areas suffered accordingly. Main causes of death pulmonary circulatory diseases and intestinal diseases. Average life expectancy 62.6 years for 1980-84 period.

Government: Executive power is vested in a president who is popularly elected for a four-year term. The president appoints a Cabinet and introduces bills in Congress. The Congress consists of the 30-member Senate and the 120-member Chamber of Deputies. All legislative members are elected for four-year terms.